Study of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Patients with Androgenetic Alopecia: Metabolic Syndrome and Carotid Atheromatosis
February 2009
in “
Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology
”
TLDR People with early-onset hair loss have higher risk of heart issues, so early screening is important.
A study was conducted to determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and carotid arteriosclerosis in patients with early-onset androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and compare it with a control group of dermatology patients without AGA. The study found that 50% of the AGA patients met metabolic syndrome criteria, compared with 13% in the control group. Nine AGA patients presented with atheromatous plaques, four of them in both carotids, and in two cases the blood flow was affected. The study concludes that the high frequency with which metabolic syndrome and carotid atheromatosis are found in patients with AGA makes it appropriate for this group to be screened with a view to the early detection of individuals at risk, in order that preventive treatment may begin before cardiovascular disease sets in.